Wish granted: more prison time

An Easton bank robber Thursday got what he asked for: 14 more years in prison.

Roland Bisher Jr., 32, told a federal judge that he'd rather be in prison than living free.

"It's so hard being out there. I'm more comfortable where I'm at," said Bisher, who's being held at Graterford State Prison for other crimes.

Bisher said he did not try to disguise himself when he robbed a Lafayette Ambassador Bank branch, nor did he try to flee afterward.

Displaying a threatening note but no weapon, Bisher robbed the South Side branch of $2,522 on May 9.

The note said, "I have a gun! Don't move. Just give me the money and no one will get hurt!"

Bisher is considered a "career offender" under federal sentencing guidelines. His criminal record includes five earlier bank robberies, a burglary, cashing more than 15 bad checks and trying to escape from deputy sheriffs.

But his lawyer, Robert O'Shea of Philadelphia, tried to persuade U.S. District Judge Mary McLaughlin to give him a break because of a childhood accident and a troubled upbringing.

O'Shea called the bank robbery Bisher's "cry for help."

At 18 months, Bisher swallowed Drano, damaging his esophagus and deforming his mouth. His speech is slurred. He eats and drinks using a food pump connected to his intestines.

At age 12, Bisher testified, his father introduced him to drugs and alcohol, including bringing him to bars.

Bisher has spent nearly half of his life in foster care, juvenile centers or prison.

"He's had a horrendous past, and he's never been given a chance to survive on the outside," O'Shea said.

Bisher has been punished for his crimes but not treated for his childhood psychological problems, O'Shea said.

"Nobody has ever taken the time to help Mr. Bisher, and I'm trying to ask the court to do that," O'Shea said.

Federal prosecutor Nelson Thayer called Bisher a "consistent threat to the public."

McLaughlin acknowledged that Bisher's early life was "tragic and deeply troubling."

But she said she needed to imprison him to protect the public.

She recommended that the federal Bureau of Prisons place him in a facility where he can get medical, mental health and substance abuse treatment.